On today’s show Michael Covel talks with memory expert and Memrise co-founder Ben Whately. Not surprisingly, central to the discussion is memory and how the human brain interprets and processes information.

When we think of fond memories, we often see events from someone else’s point of view. Ben explains that this is because in addition to our own personal recollections, we have also encountered alternate perspectives of the event through such devices as photos or home movies. Our brain mashes the imagery together and produces a composite image – a memory.

Michael and Ben talk about how humanity’s view on memory throughout time has always been a reflection of the best technology of the era. This leads to one of Ben’s favorite subjects, language. According to Ben, the way language is taught today – rote memorization – is completely wrong. Language is best learned by immersing yourself in the culture of the people who speak it. Take his memory lessons throughout this episode and apply them tomorrow.